Mini Grapefruit Drizzle Cakes

I have memories of eating grapefruit halves as a ‘healthy’ breakfast choice when I was younger, but having to coat them with a layer of sugar to offset the sourness. Most likely as a result of this, I have often overlooked the grapefruit in favour of other citrus fruits when baking - until now!

These cute little cakes are a simple take on a classic drizzle style bake, with the grapefruit offering a unique balance of sweetness and acidity (just right for my sweet tooth). I used pink grapefruits, which are generally a little sweeter than red or white varieties - but that’s just my preference and you can choose to use any type if you prefer.

I baked the cakes in a standard muffin pan and turned them upside down to decorate. They look like mini Bundt cakes but without having to invest in a new tin (it took me ages to figure that trick out). It also means the grapefruit glaze drips down the sides perfectly - though be careful not to make the icing too thin.

No grapefruit was wasted in the making of these cakes either. The zest is used for the sponges, the juice makes up both the syrup and the glaze and, finally, I used the peel to make a candied fruit topping! (Though this is an optional extra if you’re short of time).

What you need (makes 12):

For the sponge cakes:
225g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
225g plain flour
1 pink grapefruit (zest only)

For the grapefruit syrup:
25g caster sugar
1 pink grapefruit (juice only)

For the candied peel (optional):
1 pink grapefruit (peel only)
25g caster sugar
100ml water

For the grapefruit glaze:
100g icing sugar
½ pink grapefruit (juice only)
A drop of pink food colouring (optional)

What you need to do:

For the sponge cakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°c and grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter
2. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy
3. Measure the flour in a separate bowl and grate the zest into the bowl
4. Add 1/3 of the flour to the mixing bowl and combine, then add half of the eggs, then repeat until all of the ingredients are combined
5. Divide the mixture between the muffin holes and smooth the tops, then bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch
6. Leave the cakes to cool in the tin before removing them - turn them upside down and set aside

For the grapefruit syrup:

1. While the cakes are in the oven, heat the sugar and grapefruit juice in a saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved
2. Once the cakes have been removed from the oven, pour the syrup over each cake and leave to cool

For the candied peel (optional):

1. Using the same grapefruit, peel the skin away from the middle and chop into small squares
2. Place the skin into a small saucepan and fill with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then drain the water and repeat again
3. Add the caster sugar and water to the pan with the grapefruit and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes then drain and remove from the pan and set aside to cool

For the grapefruit glaze:

1. While the cakes are cooling, place the icing sugar into a small bowl, then squeeze in the grapefruit juice from the remaining grapefruit and combine
2. You may need to add more icing sugar or juice to get to the right consistency - you want the glaze to be thick, but not too thick to pour
3. If using, add a very small drop of pink food colouring to the icing and stir through thoroughly (use sparingly!)

To finish:

1. Pour a teaspoon of the glaze over each cake and gently edge it over the sides
2. Top each cake with a couple of pieces of your candied peel and leave to set
3. Eat and enjoy!